September 4/10 10:30 am - MTB World Championships: Women's XC UPDATES

After a week of hot humid weather the skies opened up and it was raining heavily all morning . About 45 minutes to go the rain stopped and whil the ground is still very wet and slippery on the course.

67 women will be on the start line and they will head out on a start loop of 3 km and then 5 full laps of the 4.8 km circuit.

Defending champion Irina Kalentieva (Russian Federation) will be looking for her 3rd World Championship, while local favourite Marie-Helene Premont (Canada) and last week's World Cup winner Catharine Pendrel (Canada) will be looking for their first.

There is now a lead group of 7 starting to form at the front. Lechner, Kalentieva, Osl, Spitz, Wloszczowska, Pendrel, Koerber,

11:20 am

At the Feed/Tech zone on Lap 1: Pendrel has taken the lead and has a 30 sec gap on Wloszczowska, Koerber, Kalentieva, Lechner, Schneitter, Spitz. Szafraniec, Premont, Ravanel together at at 55 sec.

Blaza Klemencic (Slovenia) is out

Sin 29th, Mckirdy 43rd, Walter 44th

On the rock garden

Pendrel takes the "chicken run" but slips and slides down losing a bit of time to Wloszczowska, who runs down the shorter more dangerous route.

11:26

Pendrel has now been caught by Wloszczowska and they are together at the front heading up the climb

Lechner and Ravanel and Dyck are the only 3 who have ridden down the Rock garden so far. All the rest are hike a bike or chicken run

Through he Feed/Tech zone and heading to the end of lap 1 and Pendrel and Wloszczowska are together.

Lap 2

Pendrel leading Wloszczowska across the line to head out onto lap 2, Koerber 3rd at 25 sec. Kalentieva 4th at 27 sec, Spitz 5th at 33 sec, Schneitter 6th at 45 sec, Premont 7th at 1:08, Osl 8th at s.t., Heather Irmiger (United States Of America) at 1:16, Szafraniec 10th at 1:23

11:35

In the singletrack: Wloszczowska has dropped Pendrel and Koerber is now making a move to catch Pendrel.

At theTech/Feedzone (2 km)

Wloszczowska leading with Pendrel at 10 sec. Koerber and Kalentieva are together at another 3 sec. but clising on Pendrel. Spitz is also closing.

Osl, Premont, Irmiger and Schneitter are also together at 1:10

Lechner has had a technical problem and lost a few more spots

11:44 am

At the Rock garden

Wloszczowska down the shorter section with Pendrel takng the longer "chicken run". Koerber rides down the rocks and gains time on Pendrel, who is gaining on Wloszczowska on teh climb, but Koerber is still closing, with Kalentieva 5th and Spitz 6th.

Osl has crashed hard on the rock garden

Good crowds out even with all the rain cheering the riders up the climb.

At the ZiZag Climb

Wloszczowska with Pendrel 2nat 10 sec. Koerber at 20 sec, followed by Kalentieva. Spitz at 40 sec. Premont at 1:20, Osl at 1:25